


I'll Never Say Goodbye Again

by Violet_arabian



Series: War and Tragedy [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Canada Has Self-Worth Issues, FACE Family, Historical, Historical Hetalia, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Battle of Singapore, Implied/Referenced Pearl Harbor, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, The Battle of Hong Kong, World War II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 01:06:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15207461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violet_arabian/pseuds/Violet_arabian
Summary: In all honesty, Canada shouldn't have ended up in such inhumane conditions in the first place.(Note: Relationships are NOT the focus, but you can definitely see some romance. The focus is rather on the FACE family, the 2nd half of WW2, and Canada's POV on it all.)





	1. The Battle of Hong Kong

**Author's Note:**

> Alright y'all. This is my first fic on this site and for this fandom, but I like history so hopefully I don't drop this.
> 
> WARNING: There's a bit of swearing, but I try to keep it down if the situation doesn't really call for it. Violence and gore aren't explicit, simply touched upon. Translations are offered at the end.

In all honesty, Canada shouldn't have ended up in such inhumane conditions in the first place.

It was September 1939 when his nation declared war again the Axis. Even then, the Canadian Army hadn't seen much action. Since Canada had recently become independent - or at least a self-governing entity within the British Empire on July 1st, 1867 - the nation's military was small. In fact, Canada recalled his boss, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, being cautious about committing the country to battle and deciding that Canada should help the war effort by growing food and training aircrews.

The British were fighting for survival against Germany during 1940, so assisting the Commonwealth, specifically Hong Kong proved to be a challenge. England quickly came to a realization that defending Hong Kong would be virtually impossible since it was fairly close to Japan. Even though there were already British and Indian units already garrisoned in Hong Kong, the nation wanted to deter any possible threats. So when England came to Canada with a request to send troops to guard and bolster Hong Kong, he couldn't find it in himself to say no. A deal was struck and two battalions were sent overseas.

The two battalions sent were from Winnipeg and Québec. While they had some experience serving on garrison duty, neither had proper training for modern warfare or had participated in battalion-level training exercises. However, the fact that they lacked training didn't seem to matter much, since, at the time, a Japanese attack against British territories in the Pacific seemed unlikely. The thought assured the battalions further since racial attitudes around that time had convinced Canadian and British military leaders that they were superior.

Of course, that didn't really sit well with Canada, the living personification of his country. He feared that the regiment's inexperience would cause issues and made a decision to travel with them. Even though King protested his decision, Canada ended up being dispatched undercover anyway, ditching his nation name for his human one, Matthew Williams. Under command of Brigadier J.K. Lawson, Matthew and 1,972 officers and men were sent across the Pacific. They arrived in Hong Kong on the 16th of November and joined a military garrison that totalled about 14 thousand where they were tasked to protect a colony of 1.6 million residents. They had only a few ships and no air force or vehicles since the few American forces assisting with the war ended up needing them more.

After a fairly uneventful month, Matthew began to reconsider his choice. Mackenzie King had protested his idea simply because he was Canada, and if he ended up in enemy hands, there would be a high risk of harming his country. Yet, the only reason he had wanted to come to Hong Kong, was to make sure his people weren't being sent to a death trap - and if he had to be a bit more honest, maybe get a bit of action for himself, since he was fairly upset about how France was forced to surrender to Germany during 1940. As a result of the dull month, Matthew began to plan to alert home on December 16th but was caught off guard when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7th, 1941.

Agonized by the news, Matthew alerted King of his decision only an hour after hearing it. He couldn't help but think of his older brother, suddenly attacked for seemingly no reason. He wanted, no, needed to be by him. Not to mention, he was beginning to feel guilty. It seemed like all of the nations closest to him were struggling to survive. There was no reason for him to stay stationary in Hong Kong.

Six hours after the bombing at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked Hong Kong.

 

* * *

 

Matthew learned later that it was the Japanese 38th Division that ended up invading. It didn't make him feel better in the least to know that his people were forced to fight against well-trained, battle-hardened troops. He wanted to cry at the fact that they had to fight at all. That the brave, honourable men of the Winnipeg Grenadiers became the first Canadian Army troop to engage in combat in the Second World War. That even after five days of tireless fighting, Kowloon and the mainland fell to the Japanese. That even then, Hong Kong’s military commander refused the demands for surrender, even though there would be no relief from outside the colony. That the untested soldiers of Canada had to defend Hong Kong island, only to fall after two weeks.

Matthew would never forget the sight of Company Sergeant-Major John Osborn picking up grenades and throwing them back to the enemy, or when he threw himself on a live grenade to save others. He was never even given the chance to grieve the loss of one of his children since the Japanese rushed the Canadian position soon after.

The colony surrendered. The Battle of Hong Kong was over.

 

* * *

 

**[December 30, 1941]**

It was moments like these, where the Japanese carried out their campaign of terror, that Matthew wondered why they even had to fight in the first place. His wounded people didn't deserve to be bayoneted, killed in shitty hospitals, or mutilated for amusement. In fact, he found himself intervening many times. He found himself getting beaten and bruised, shouted and ridiculed in a language he didn't understand. It never deterred him, not even when it seemed like the Japanese soldiers began to target him, annoyed by his disobedience. He was a country. No amount of human punches or bullying would cripple him, especially when he had to protect his people. Even when he saw British soldiers facing the brutality, Matthew would picture England, and step in to defend them.

Finally, it seemed like Matthew's ceaseless defiance had garnered him enough attention. Irritated by his will, soldiers brought him to the feet of his enemy. He didn't even need to look up that it was the man who had bombed his brother. Matthew quivered with anger and fear, bracing himself as one of the soldiers shouted at him for his disrespect, probably ordering him to look. He didn't want to reveal his face. It took a sharp slap to the cheek from one of the soldiers before he inhaled deeply and complied. The one before him was a small man with black hair and dark eyes. From what he could tell, he wore a naval suit that was fairly ornate, with gold epaulettes and frog clasps down in the front of the jacket. He spotted the insignia - three stars squeezed between two red lines - and decided that his gut feeling was right. This was Japan.

They stared at each other for a while. Both countries took in as much as they could about the other. Canada was filthy, bruised, and exhausted. Japan was clean, unaffected, and calm. Minutes of silence passed. Finally, Japan asked him something.

"多くの人は他人を守るために自分自身を傷つけません。なぜあなたはしますか?"

Matthew stared at him blankly, before responding with a gruff, "What?"

Japan's facial expression did not change as he repeated, "Not a lot of people would put themselves in harm's way to protect others. Why would you?"

"I would never stand by while my comrades are forced to suffer, I would rather endure the pain for them."

"Yes... I see. Because you wouldn't die from it, would you, Canada?"

Briefly, Matthew's eyes widened. He supposed he shouldn't have been shocked. Even if he'd never seen Japan before, Germany must have given a description or photo. He quickly made sure to disguise his reaction, though not before Japan caught it. The other country did not smile in success or whoop in delight. He simply nodded his head and murmured an order to his subordinates. Matthew was hauled to his feet and dragged away, teeth clenched. The fact that he had been caught would bring many issues. There was no way he could escape now, surrounded by his enemy. He'd simply have to wait for an opportunity.

 

* * *

 

 

**[January 2, 1941]**

Canada didn't know what he had expected. Germany looked the same from all the other times he had seen him. He didn't look tyrannical or evil, just exhausted. Gauze was pressed to one of his cheeks and he moved awkwardly, probably trying to avoid agitating a broken rib. Even Italy seemed to try and assist him, clinging to his side as much as possible. His back was slouched and heavy bags resided under his eyes from restless nights of sleep. War didn't seem to favour either of them, even though Germany had seemed like an unstoppable force during 1941. Matthew knew of Operation Barbarossa, which was the code name used for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It had been launched on June 22, 1941, but he had no idea if it had ended or not. He could assume it had, since the Soviet Union was nowhere to be seen and Germany was actually making an appearance.

To his surprise, though, Prussia was also present in the room. He looked slightly better than Germany, but he could tell he was still hurt. There were no visible bandages, other than a cut over his eyebrow, but he could still tell. After all, they had shared an intimate relationship during the mid-1800s that would have probably lasted longer if not for this blasted war. Matthew felt a sudden urge to lurch against the shackles on his wrists, to dive into familiar arms in such a toxic room. He tore his eyes away, swallowing thickly.

Germany's voice broke through his thoughts as he solicited, "So why were you in Hong Kong, Canada? Were you trying to obtain something? Sneak something in? Try to take no offence, but I doubt you were trying to establish a fighting force."

Canada bit down on his lip and replied, "I was simply overlooking."

"That's it? Seems like a pointless job for a country." Germany queried.

"I provided support." He glanced over at Prussia, taking note of how uncomfortable he looked before spitting, "I assisted the Commonwealth while England _suffered_ under the Blitz and night bombings."

The room fell silent. War was always ugly. Not only were countries harmed by bullets and bombs, but any damage done to their own land and people affected them poorly. Canada still remembered seeing the man who acted as his father and brother wretch in pain as his people died and his land was ruined. It had taken a lot of convincing to get to Britain, but he was glad to be able to support his father-figure. Though the entire ordeal brought nasty memories of France's defeat. France found himself signing an armistice to quit World War II, which resulted in England standing alone against the power of Germany’s military forces since both Canada and America offered minimal support.

Seeming to read the mood, Japan stated, "England and America declared war on my country on the 8th. Your boss did the same."

Canada furrowed his eyebrows. America was in the war? It didn't even take him that long. But after Pearl Harbour was bombed, he couldn't exactly blame him. He remembered talking to Alfred about the war outside of the hectic Allies meetings. Alfred had seriously wanted to avoid the war after the last one. Especially since the only reason they were in another war was because his opinion had been ignored and Germany fell into a deep dark depression. He hid his sadness from his enemies before they could get the chance to call him out on it, though it seemed like no one would be in the mood to do so.

The silence carried on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gunna say it right now, 'cause I really don't wanna get called out on it, but I do not know Japanese. I only speak English, Spanish, a bit of French, even less of Italian, and a few phrases of Russian.
> 
> Translation:  
> 多くの人は他人を守るために自分自身を傷つけません。なぜあなたはしますか? - (Google retranslated it as "Many people do not hurt themselves to protect others. Why would you do?" but it's supposed to mean) Most people would not put themselves in harm's way to protect others. Why would you?
> 
>  
> 
> FYI, It's gunna get a lot less descriptive from now on, I just had to drop a few history facts for anyone who might not know excessive amounts of WW2, or didn't pay attention in class. Which is fine, 'cause I relate.


	2. Fall of Singapore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of shippy stuff at the start, but it's honestly just to comfort Canada. We should be getting a lot more serious next chapter. Unless we don't. In which case... whoops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations at the end.

**[????]**

Solitary wasn't something Matthew particularly liked. Though he supposed being left alone was something to be grateful for in his situation. He didn't face any serious questioning. In fact, he wasn't subject to any questions after the first interrogation, which ended fairly abruptly after Germany dismissed it for other matters. In a way, he was incredibly grateful to his captors for that. He held plenty of secrets the Axis might find useful, and he wasn't sure how well he'd do under the pressure of torture. If it meant keeping his mind intact, solitary was something he could endure, even if he found himself in a damp cell with limited light flowing in from a small window.

He was left to rot for what felt like days but could easily have also been weeks. While he wasn't tortured, he did lose muscle mass and became far slimmer overall because of the low amount of food he received. He could deal with it, of course. It was nowhere near as bad as the depression he faced during the 1930s.

Moonlight streamed in from the window, illuminating the tiny particles of dust in his cell. Matthew's lumped figure near the corner of the barren cell jerked when he heard the unmistakable creek of the jail door. He hadn't been getting much sleep as of late, so becoming prudent wasn't too difficult. He braced himself for a fight, glaring at the shadow that now loomed in the cell. Perhaps the Axis had finally decided to force information out of him.

"Birdie..."

It took but a few seconds before Matthew felt tension slip from his body at the familiar nickname. He squinted, trying to spot the silver hair and red eyes in the moonlight.

An unexpected sob wretched from his mouth as he whispered, "Gil."

The German was suddenly by his side, hauling him into a much-needed hug. He hadn't had intimate physical contact since the Battle of Britain. Weeks of built up anger and sadness poured out of him and onto Gilbert's shirt, staining it with tears. Desperately, Matthew wrapped his arms around him, clinging to him like a lifeline. While Matthew was fairly used to being a loner, he enjoyed simple affections that required physical contact, like hugging or kissing people on the cheek - which he may or may not have gotten from France. The military wasn't really about happy fun times, so he couldn't retreat to anyone in Hong Kong for reassurance.

After Matthew collected himself again and the two of them soaked in each other's presence for long enough, Gilbert muttered, "Japan has been wanting to tell you that Brigadier J.K. Lawson died heroically." Canada cringed at the new information, but he continued, "His headquarters were surrounded. Even though the Japanese were nearly firing point-blank into his bunker, he went outside to fight. Your men were truly heroic."

Matthew ran a hand under his nose, pulling away slightly as he sniffled, "Thank you."

Sound seemed to disappear for the next few minutes. In a matter of days, the war had kicked him in the ass. Everything suddenly seemed so... sudden to him. He had mostly stayed in Canada for the first part of the war and would have been completely ignorant if not for the Allies meetings and the fact that he read the news and listened to the radio.

Gilbert softly grabbed his shoulders and turned him so that they could face each other as he implored, "Bitte verzeih mir. West has been so hard these months. I've been trying to wake him up with some sort of epiphany. But I can't really blame him, can I? I'm sorry I left you. But... after hearing Hitler's speeches and seeing how West began to regain his strength I-"

Matthew pressed a finger against his lips and murmured, "I don't blame you. Everything has honestly just been shit."

"Kann ich es wieder gut machen?" Gilbert asked softly.

He brushed some of his hair away, sniffling a bit as he offered a small smile. "Of course. I already have."

 

* * *

  
**[February 27, 1942]**

Canada had been moved from country to country over the weeks. Kept in constant movement to avoid his retrieval. He was a bargaining chip being shipped across seas.

Gilbert had made a single appearance during his time in the first cell. From what he had told Matthew, he had been stuck in captivity for nearly two months. A part of him began to wonder whether Alfred and Arthur even knew or cared that he was gone. If anything, he was a liability at the moment. He was beginning to believe he had been forgotten. But that was fine. The silence and empty space did give him time to think.

He found himself being able to sympathise with Germany after a while. The last war had left him with nothing. His land, military, and economy were taken and destroyed. He must have been desperate for help. Canada could understand what must have been a serious struggle because of the suffering he had faced with his own depression. When Adolf Hitler began to rally people to his side, speaking strong words and ideals, people had flocked to him. At the time, it probably never even struck Germany that his people were shoving each other into internment camps along with other humans from different countries, simply to wring out the anger left over from the last war.

His thoughts were disrupted when the metal door of his temporary cell was opened. Four armed men walked in, lining the wall and pointing their guns at him while two others came behind him and cuffed him, pushing him out. Their aggressive attitude wasn't very shocking. Matthew had tried to escape multiple times. While he wasn't as strong as Alfred, he was certainly no pushover. The humans had adapted accordingly. Normal soldiers obviously didn't know who or what he was. They probably just assumed he was a freak experiment or some poor chap who messed with the wrong person. It probably depended on what the soldier had gotten from their experience with him.

He was escorted through the metal hallways, past soldiers and technicians. The second he was able to breath fresh air again, he was able to confirm a suspicion. He was on a Japanese battleship. He eyed the area, only to be interrupted when one of his escorts slammed the butt of his gun into his back. Matthew coughed at the unexpected impact and stumbled forward, allowing himself to be transported off the ship and onto land.

As he was forced into a car, he took the time to try and figure out where he was. He combed through his memory but couldn't recall ever being here. He eyed the soldiers beside him. They were all wearing their standard uniform. Matthew looked past them in order to see the windows. Wherever he was, he couldn't hear or see any evidence of the war. As they continued down the road, though, they sped past houses and Matthew couldn't help but realize how barren the streets were of civilians. He could suddenly hear the roar of tanks as they rolled by. He bit his lip as the car slowed to a stop.

Matthew despised getting pushed around. Sure, Alfred did it for fun, but he was also well aware of what his limits were, and he never intentionally hurt him. So when he was encouraged out of the armoured car with a few harsh Japanese words and the threat of a gun to the back of his head, he wasn't exactly very eager to cooperate. He considered fighting back just to rebel but brushed the thought away as quickly as it came. While he couldn't die simply from a bullet, he really didn't want to experience memory loss or whatever came with brain damage. Or get thrown on top of a hill of bodies.

He slipped out of the car, eyeing the area in front of him. He was most definitely at a prisoner of war camp. Matthew glanced back at the soldiers. There must have been a mistake. There was no way in hell that Japan or Germany would willingly allow him to mingle in such a large area without supervision. Sure, the ground was surrounded on three sides by three-storey buildings and there were plenty of soldiers stationed, but the crowd was massive. There had to be nearly 20,000 people crammed into what must have been about 150 by 200 meters. Another soldier came up to him and undid his shackles, shoving him forward. Was this corruption? It couldn't be, his entourage hadn't given him any sign as such. Perhaps it had been from someone higher up? Or maybe this was simply a mistake. Either way, Matthew was taking it.

The 1929 Geneva Convention on the Prisoners of War established rules for the treatment of prisoners of war. For one, prisoners had to be lodged inside adequately heated and lighted buildings where the conditions were the same as their own troops. Clearly, this camp did not follow those rules. Though there was no way Matthew would be able to tell if there were any prisoners inside the buildings, there were plenty outside with no protection from the elements. Another rule stated that labour was allowed, so long as it was not dangerous and did not support the captor's war effort. The workers were also supposed to get at least one day per week of rest. Yet not all combatants applied the provisions of the convention. Germany's internment camps didn't and Matthew had overheard people talking about the quality of Japan's camps. He could only guess that this was a camp established by Japan since most of the soldiers looked to be of the ethnicity.

As he walked into the camp, he took note of the tents and of the wounded, tired looking men. He knew that the Empire of Japan had signed the convention, but it didn't look like they ratified it. Clearly, the treatment was poor. He had no idea why, but he wanted to figure out the reasoning behind it. Both sides of the story were important when looking for peace, after all. Even when the urge to become bias was overwhelming. Most soldiers couldn't be blamed for what they do. They were ordered to do it. Though it was fairly unsettling how humans seem unbothered when they are told to subject others into forced labour, beatings, murder, and even medical experimentation. It would never cease to amaze him.

So far, the only conversations he could hear were in English. The accents were predominantly British and Australian. There weren't any Canadians here. He sighed in relief. He couldn't help but wonder what was happening in his homeland. Were they now actively participating in the war? Or have they closed themselves off?

Matthew yelped as he was pushed aside and head a familiar voice grumbled, "Sorry, Fritz."

He blinked and turned to face the person. The messy, short blond hair and green eyes threw him for a loop. Matthew could feel tears pinch at the corner of his eyes. He didn't even need to look at the incredibly thick eyebrows to identify him. He had on his green trousers and deep brown boots but had ditched the jacket and Sam Browne belt for a grey tank top. His left arm was also in a messy sling. The man seemed to stare at him in shock, eyes widening as more seconds passed by.

"Arthur?" Matthew questioned.

For the second time in two months, Canada found himself being pulled into a hug.

 

* * *

  

England had helped him fill in his questions. They were in Singapore, which had been renamed to Syonan-to. The camp was in the Selarang Barracks, near the Changi Prison, and held some 50,000 Allied soldiers in total. Changi Prison was already crowded with Allied prisoners and civilians, so the surrounding barracks were used by the Japanese as a holding area for Australian and British prisoners.

"The military command in Singapore was confident that the fortress would render any Japanese attack useless," Arthur grumbled moodily. "When I came by to check, my men stationed here were confident that the Japanese troops were poor fighters. I ended up staying a bit too long."

Matthew nodded his head to the information, cross-legged on the floor. "We had similar confidence in Hong Kong as well. When did the attack happen?"

Arthur chuckled cynically and wearied, "It occurred but a few hours after Pearl Harbour. By December 9th the RAF planes were essentially all defeated after the Japanese had attacked the fields in Singapore. Aerial support was gone before the actual attack on Singapore had even begun. Hell, Mattie, the naval presence was strong. We had a squadron of warships lead by the “Prince of Wales” and the battlecruiser “Repulse”. But on December 10th, both ships were sunk by repeated attacks from Japanese torpedo bombers. The RAF couldn't even offer protection because they had already been destroyed!"

"How..." Matthew licked his lips in an effort to wet them and repeated, "How is Alfred? Is he-"

"He's angry. Very angry." After a moment of hesitation, he added, "And in pain. He may not admit it, but he struggled to breathe for days. I was there when it happened. We were having a meeting."

He looked up, where a rag blocked the sun from their conversation. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

When Matthew looked down, Arthur was watching him. He couldn't tell why but he simply continued to stare at him. A silence stretched between them, only interrupted by the buzz of flies and hum of voices.

"He was deathly worried about you," Arthur told him silently. "I was too, of course, but he threw a major tantrum. If he had his way, he would have declared war on Japan immediately and sent ships to Hong Kong, but he had to wait for Congress. Even then, Roosevelt warned him against it... I... I'm sorry Matthew. If I had known that Japan would..."

"It's not your fault. The sole commissioner, Chief Justice Lyman Duff, exonerated the Cabinet, the Department of National Defence and senior members of the military’s general staff. After this entire thing, I'm going to force a confidential analysis to find the errors in Duff’s assessment. If only those men had proper training and equipment..." He sighed and appended, "I wanted to do more than stay on standby... So much more, but my people were always split on the matter. It's like I can never get away from the bickering you and Papa come up with. No offence."

"It's fine," England murmured. "It just makes me wonder why you haven't turned against me."

He offered him a smile and reminded him, "Well, the relationship between our two countries has a long tradition of strategic partnerships. Forged in peace and war... through one... no two world wars and nearly every major conflict. We share the same sovereign and we work closely together."

"But what about you and America? You both could have-"

Matthew held a hand up barked, "Arthur."

The older nation exhaled softly and mumbled, "Yes... yes... sorry."

"It's alright. Why don't you tell me more about this situation? There's more information to discuss."

"Right, well, there's a lack of toilet facilities. Well... actually, the Japs cut the water off, so they can't be used anyway. They only allowed one water tap to be used, so there's a lineup every day. You're only allowed one water bottle per day. One bloody quart for drinking, washing, and everything else."

"Calice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, look at me go.
> 
>  
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Bitte verzeih mir - Please forgive me
> 
> Kann ich es wieder gut machen? - Can I make it up to you?
> 
> Calice - Literally translates to chalice in French, but to the Québécois, it's like saying damn... Most of the Québécois swear words have to do with the church.


End file.
